What Android Users Should Know About Google’s $135 Million Settlement
What Android Users Should Know About Google’s $135 Million Settlement
https://time.com/article/2026/05/27/google-android-settlement-payment/
Publish Date: 2026-05-27 13:28:00
Source Domain: time.com
An estimated 100 million people may qualify to receive payments through the $135 million deal Google has reached to settle a lawsuit that accused the company of transferring Android users’ data without their permission.
The class-action lawsuit alleged that Google “designed the Android operating system to collect vast amounts of information about its users” and thereby “effectively forces these users to subsidize its surveillance by secretly programming Android devices to constantly transmit user information to Google in real time.”
The plaintiffs claimed that Google collected data through their Androids in this way even when they took actions like closing apps or disabling location-sharing.
They argued that this data collection constituted a crime known as “conversion,” which occurs when one party takes another’s property with the intent to deprive them of it.
Google has denied any wrongdoing, but agreed to pay the $135 million settlement in January.
The settlement has received the court’s preliminary approval, but is still awaiting a final green light. A final approval hearing in the case is scheduled for June 23.
Here’s how to know if you would qualify for payment under the settlement and, if so, what you need to do to claim a portion of it.
Who is eligible for the settlement?
You may be eligible for payment under Google’s settlement if you are a U.S. resident and used an Android device with a cellular data plan at any point since Nov. 12, 2017, according to the settlement.
Even if you are among that group, however, you would not be eligible if you were compensated in a previous $350 million Google settlement in a similar lawsuit that included only California residents.
If you aren’t sure whether you qualify, you can visit the settlement website, which includes instructions on how to reach out to check, or to ask other questions, in its FAQ section.
How much money could claimants receive?
Each person who qualifies for the settlement…
